1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mounting arrangement for an automotive engine with at least one row of cylinders arranged in a longitudinal direction of the vehicular body, and specifically to a mounting arrangement for an automotive engine with a longitudinal arrangement of cylinders, which is suitable for a front-wheel drive vehicle or a four-wheel drive vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is generally known, there are two engine arrangements, one being an arrangement for an engine with cylinders arranged in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the other being an arrangement for an engine with cylinders arranged in a lateral direction of the vehicle. The longitudinal arrangement for the engine is advantageous due to more maintenance space defined at both sides of the longitudinally arranged engine. However, this longitudinal arrangement results in a relatively long over-all length of the engine in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and consequently a relatively large front overhang. For this reason, such a longitudinal arrangement would be unsuitable for a front-wheel drive vehicle or a four-wheel drive vehicle, wherein a front-wheel drive unit as well as the engine are provided in the engine room.
Recently, there have been proposed and developed various four-wheel drive vehicles employing a V-type engine, such as a V-6 engine or a V-8 engine. The V-type engine is advantageous to provide a shorter entire length of the power plant or engine, when compared with an in-line engine. In general, the V-type engine permits a relatively short front overhang. Therefore, such a V-type engine would be widely applied for four-wheel drive vehicles. Assuming that the V-type engine is applied for a four-wheel drive vehicle or a front-wheel drive vehicle, there are three traditional engine mounting arrangements respectively shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. For instance, Japanese Patent First Publication Tokkai (Heisei) 4-108037 (corresponding to Japanese Patent Application No. 2-224581) discloses an engine mounting arrangement similar to that of FIGS. 1, 2 or 3.
For the purpose of simplification of description, the same reference numerals used in the conventional engine mounting arrangement shown in FIG. 1 will be applied to the corresponding elements used in the other conventional engine mounting arrangements shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and also applied to the corresponding elements used in a preferred embodiment of an improved engine mounting arrangement shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, hereinbelow described in detail.
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a first exemplified prior art mounting arrangement for a V-type engine. The engine mounting arrangement is determined depending on a relative position relationship among a power plant or an engine body 1 of an automotive internal combustion engine, a power train, which includes a transmission 2 (or a torque converter housing), a front differential 3, a companion flange 4, a front-wheel drive shaft 5, a propeller shaft 6, and so on, and engine-body accessories, which include a power-steering pump 7, a compressor 8 for an air conditioner, a starter motor 9, and so forth, and other parts, for example engine mounts 10, a steering rack unit 11, a steering gear 12, and so on. The first exemplified engine mounting arrangement shown in FIG. 1 is characterized in that the front differential 3 is considerably offset from the side wall of the engine 1, so as to prevent a front flange 2a of the transmission 2, which is mounted on the rear end of the engine block, from interfering with the rear end 3a of the front differential 3 and with a connecting portion 6a between the front differential 3 and the propeller shaft 6. As appreciated from the offsetting front differential 3 shown in FIG. 1, the entire width W of the engine room is increased, thereby reducing the advantage of the previously noted longitudinal arrangement for the engine. According to the first engine arrangement of FIG. 1, since the engine mounts 10 are arranged in front of the front differential 3 and in addition the engine-body accessories, such as the power-steering pump 7 and the compressor 8, are further arranged in front of the engine mounts 10, the first engine arrangement is disadvantageous to provide a shorter entire length L of the power plant.
Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a second exemplified prior art mounting arrangement for a V-type engine. The second exemplified engine mounting arrangement shown in FIG. 2 is characterized in that the rear end of the engine crankshaft is longitudinally extended by a designated length of extension 1a, so as to avoid the previously noted interference between the front flange 2a and the rear end 3a of the front differential 3 or the connecting portion 6a. The second engine arrangement is also disadvantageous to provide a shorter entire length L of the power plant.
Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a third exemplified prior art mounting arrangement for a V-type engine. The third exemplified engine mounting arrangement shown in FIG. 3 is characterized in that the front differential 3 is characterized in that the front differential 3 is arranged in a more forward position than the mounting position of the differential 3 shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 and as a result the engine-body accessories, such as the power-steering pump 7 and the compressor 8 are relocated from the engine body to the other auxiliary driving unit (not shown). The third engine arrangement permits both a shorter entire length L and a shorter entire width W. However, the third engine arrangement requires an auxiliary drive unit for driving the above-mentioned engine-body accessories. This results in an increase in total cost of the vehicle.